


the midnight snow

by silpium



Series: inktober 2017 [10]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2019-01-18 08:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12384747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silpium/pseuds/silpium
Summary: Christ, Kageyama likes Hinata. He’s such a fool. Hinata doesn't even have room in his head for romantic things with how clogged full of volleyball it is. (Not that Kageyama is much different in that regard, but Hinata’s worse, for sure.)Well, it’s not as bad as it could be. That swell of affection is nice, all things considered, albeit annoying—it takes away from his concentration, to always have to notice, oh, Hinata looks nice today, or wonder if Hinata would try to steal the dinner he’s having if they were eating together, or see Hinata mid-jump and suddenly be awestruck with howprettyhe is. It’s aggravating, but it’s such a cloak of joy around his heart that it’s worth it.





	the midnight snow

**Author's Note:**

> for day #10 of inktober, "gigantic."

Kageyama’s crush on Hinata is, to say the least, immense. A while ago, he spent a couple nights at Hinata's house Those nights were separate from any volleyball obligations, but his heart still thrilled that same way it always did around Hinata. He had attributed that, always, to the joy of volleyball and their partnership in it, yet—

Well, there wasn’t any going back after the realization that those stupid feelings like trust and safety and closeness were all Hinata, not anything else. Kageyama still hasn’t quite come to terms with it; it seems absurd, but there’s no other explanation for it.

Christ, he likes Hinata. He’s such a fool. Hinata doesn't even have room in his head for romantic things with how clogged full of volleyball it is. (Not that Kageyama is much different in that regard, but Hinata’s worse, for sure.)

Well, it’s not as bad as it could be. That swell of affection is nice, all things considered, albeit annoying—it takes away from his concentration, to always have to notice, oh, Hinata looks nice today, or wonder if Hinata would try to steal the dinner he’s having if they were eating together, or see Hinata mid-jump and suddenly be awestruck with how _pretty_ he is. It’s aggravating, but it’s such a cloak of joy around his heart that it’s worth it.

Hinata can be the most oblivious person there is, yet he manages to catch onto that something’s up. Maybe it’s that Kageyama hasn’t been quite as aggressive towards him, or maybe it’s that Kageyama’s been caught staring at him a few too many times. Whatever it is, Hinata doesn't let him get away with it. He elbows him one day after practice and asks, “So what’s been up with you lately, Kageyama? You haven’t made a single grab for me in days.”

“You haven’t been stupid in days,” Kageyama returns easily.

“Wow, what a compliment!” Hinata grins teasingly. “No, but seriously, what's been up? You’ve seemed a lot happier lately.”

“It’s nothing,” Kageyama says, and Hinata uncharacteristically lets it go. It’s a relief, because, honestly, Kageyama is nowhere near ready to confess that it’s Hinata making him so happy. He’d never live it down.

So the conversation continues on some other topic. Kageyama lets his crush smolder and basks in its glow.

/ * \ 

Things simultaneously become easier and more difficult. Hinata can be affectionate, with pats on the back that linger just long enough for Kageyama to wonder, compliments that come out of nowhere like _that toss was amazing, Kageyama!_ , little looks brimming full of trust.

It’s both a source of secret, unfettered happiness, and a source of guilt: while Hinata's affection makes him brim and overflow with these stupid feelings of closeness and pleasure, it brings a sense of shame. Hinata doesn't know what Kageyama's taking from this.

So, for lack of a better path to take, Kageyama decides he's going to confess. There's no safety net to it. There _is_ the blistering, festering worry of that this is going to ruin the first friendship he's ever cultivated, but at the same time, he hopes—no, knows—Hinata is better than that. Hinata wouldn't ditch him over something like this.

Hinata asks him over, one night. It’s deep in winter, when the cold has seeped into the very core of the air, when smoke from fireplaces has integrated itself with the smell of the frost dusting the grass and tree branches. This is his chance: Hinata and him, alone, while Natsu is asleep and they won't be interrupted. Kageyama has a good excuse to leave if things go downhill.

Hinata seems seems lost in thought that day, even spacing out during practice, missing spikes left and right. 

"Dumbass," Kageyama calls after Hinata's missed the fifth or sixth spike that day. "What's going on with you today?"

"Nothing, nothing," Hinata says quickly, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Just lost in thought, I guess. Sorry! I'll do better, I promise."

Kageyama sizes him up for a few moments. "Well, get it figured out. We can't have you out of capacity for the game coming up.”.

"Yeah, yeah, of course!" Hinata assures him, shakes himself out of his reverie. He manages to be more present after that, but still seems strangely distant.

As they go over to Hinata's house that night, Hinata wheeling his creaky bike as they walk up the dirt road, Hinata keeps his eyes on the ground. Kageyama watches Hinata's steps as closely as Hinata himself, and stays quiet. He's learned well enough by now to give Hinata space when he needs it.

Hinata unlocks the door to his house, swiping the key from under the flowerpot as always. His house is so much warmer that it almost gives Kageyama whiplash, hands aching with the sudden temperature change. Kageyama had forgotten his gloves today. His hands are all reddened and sore from the searing cold. “Pardon the intrusion,” Kageyama mutters on habit.

“You know you don’t have to say that every time.” Then, noticing Kageyama rubbing his hands, Hinata comments, “Stupid, you should’ve asked me for my mittens.” 

“Your hands are way too small for your mittens to fit me, dumbass.”

“Rude,” Hinata whines. “You could probably manage to squeeze them on.”

“I really don’t think so,” Kageyama snorts, eyeing Hinata’s hands. They’re considerably smaller than his.

“You so could!” Hinata takes Kageyama’s hand, raises it up and places his own against it. “Look, see, mine aren’t _that_ much smaller than yours,” he insists. It’d be a little too small for you, yeah, but it’s good enough, I think—”

Kageyama stops listening, because, gosh, Hinata’s hand is so warm and tiny against his own freezing hand. He just wants to close his hand around Hinata’s, feel that heat spread all throughout his frigid skin up to his arms and chest, and, Hinata’s hand heavy in his own, trace patterns all over the back of Hinata’s hand like a canvas. He wants it so bad he can’t stand it.

“Kageyama?” Hinata asks, jolting Kageyama out of his reverie. He pulls his hand away like he’s been burned. Hinata withdraws his, too. “You okay? You looked kinda—”

“I like you,” Kageyama blurts. Admittedly, it’s not the best place for a confession, standing in Hinata’s doorway with only one of Hinata’s shoes off.

Hinata blinks. “You—”

“I said I like you, stupid, did you not hear me—”

“Like—romantically? Is that what you mean?” Hinata asks, an unreadable expression on his face.

“ _Yes_ , you dumbass,” Kageyama confirms, exasperation leaking into his voice as his face burns.

“You—you total jerk, Kageyama! I can’t believe you would steal my thunder like that! How did you know I was going to—” Hinata’s face is red with embarrassment, voice tinny with shock.

“Wait, what?” Kageyama balks, his turn to be confused. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I—I set up tonight to be so perfect to confess to you, oh my gosh, I made sure Natsu was staying at a friend’s and that my parents would stay out of the way, I made sure we had your favorite ice cream so you’d be happy–and you just—you just—”

“ _Why_ would I want to eat ice cream in the middle of winter?” is somehow the first thing that comes out of Kageyama's mouth as he reels from Hinata’s rambling.

“I don’t know! But maybe you would—I don’t know your ice cream habits!”

“Wait,” Kageyama realizes. “You—were going to _confess_?”

“Yes,” Hinata says, shrill. “Weren’t you listening? I’ve been planning this for weeks, you dummy! Did—did Yamaguchi tell you, or something? Sugawara? Yachi?”

Absently, Kageyama wonders how much of the team knew about Hinata’s crush when he didn’t. “No, idiot, nobody told me. I didn’t mean to steal your thunder or whatever, I just—you were cute, I guess, and it slipped out of me.”

Hinata's face burns even hotter. "Stupid, don't say that so easily! That's so embarrassing," he whines, drawing the last word out. "But, uhm. You, too," he says, staring down at his feet. "You're—that all the time. That was gonna be in my confession speech that you ruined."

"You had a speech all planned out?" Kageyama asks, incredulous.

"Yes, I had all the stupid reasons I like you, like, uhm, your tosses, and the way you ruffle my hair, and—" He reaches into his pocket and grabs a well-worn piece of paper, scribbled lines evident through the back of it. Kageyama is torn between laughing and being touched at the gesture. "How you pretend you hate sharing your lunch with me but actually pack extras for me, your stupid-pretty face, your height, your tosses—"

"You said tosses twice."

“They’re important enough to mention twice!”

“Stupid,” Kageyama says, smiles to himself.

“That’s another reason!” Hinata shouts. “Your—your smile. ‘Cause you never smile and you’re always so—it’s always so nice when you do. I didn’t have that one written down, but that was when I realized it. That I liked you, I mean—when I saw you really smile for the first time and I just couldn’t get it out of my head, y’know?”

Kageyama’s chest tickles. It’s so _stupid_ , but at the same time, it makes Kageyama’s whole body tingle with affection and makes the cold on his hands turn to warmth. “Stupid,” he repeats. “I like you,” he says, as though to confirm it, feeling it work its way up and out of his throat.

“I like you, too, dummy. I thought we established that already.” Hinata responds, exasperation and affection mixing in his voice.

“Wanted to hear you say it again,” Kageyama mutters.

“I’ve said it, like, ten times more than you have! If anything, I should be making you say it more!”

“I like you,” Kageyama declares, and it rings in the silence of the hall like a bell. “I—want to hold your hand and all that other stupid affectionate stuff that people dating do.”

“Me too,” Hinata says, and his voice is so tiny and frail with happiness that Kageyama’s heart aches. 

“Then, c’mon, dumbass, give me your hand.”

Hinata holds out his hand, and Kageyama puts his own in it, squeezes it gently. The still-remaining frigidness of his own hand vanishes almost instantly in Hinata’s warm grip. Kageyama’s heart sparks a little at the touch. Hinata starts rubbing his thumb over the back of Kageyama’s hand, and it’s just _nice_ , the contact, a new, gentle way of affirming _yeah, I like you_.

Hinata manages to take off his other shoe with one hand, not with any elegance. It makes Kageyama’s lips quirk into a smile, seeing the way he jumps around to try to get it off but refuses to just let go of Kageyama’s hand. 

Hinata tugs him upstairs after he finally gets his shoe off, and Kageyama follows him up. It’s snowing, now, just lightly enough to dust the ground and make it twinkle in the night. “First snow!” Hinata exclaims, teeming with excitement, and suddenly Kageyama’s tiredness catches up with him.

When he comes back from the bathroom after getting changed, Hinata’s already in his pajamas and on his bed. He’s watching, through the nearby window, the snow flutter down under the streetlights.

Kageyama sits beside him, and Hinata rests his head on Kageyama’s shoulder. They don’t speak. The snow continues to fall and cover the world like a blanket; eventually, Hinata falls asleep, breaths even and soft. Kageyama covers Hinata’s hand with his own and closes his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to my love [robin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/luciferTM/pseuds/luciferTM) for betaing! 
> 
> thank you very much for reading! please feel free to comment with concrit or otherwise—i appreciate it quite a bit!
> 
> i'm on twitter [@hhatsunetsu](https://twitter.com/hhatsunetsu) if you'd like to chat!


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